Getting back to the simpler things – feeding your internal fitology meter

It’s very easy to get caught up in the day to day of our lives. Wow, I never realized how much that sentence sounded like the popular TV show! But in all honesty we get so bogged down. I write often about how to make the most out of your day, how to be more productive, how to be more time efficient and how to manage your time in the best way possible. And all of that is pivotal in ensuring you don’t waste time, because time is something you can never get back. 

I cant help but think about the concept of simplicity though the more and more involved my life gets. The more important my job becomes and the more responsibility I have, I yearn to be able to come home and just switch off. I keep musing about having this utopia where I can be earning really good money but working from home. Right now that isn’t a reality for me and I couldn’t just make a change because of a number of things, predominantly because my husband and I have some specific financial goals we’d like to achieve and me not working would be detrimental to those goals. Furthermore, I like my career. I’m unfazed about my current job, because it’s a bit boring, but my career and the opportunities within it is what I absolutely love.

I read often about people who are in these corporate jobs who hate it and yearn to leave and when they do they miraculously, well not always miraculously but they end up finding this random thing they fall in love with and end up doing and they’re content and make bucketloads of money….you get the drift. But the thing is for me, my current career is what I really truly love and I know I won’t be satisfied if I just up and change. This is why the side hustle is a good thing for me. Something to give me a creative outlet but that can be managed passively so I can still work a 9-5.

I sometimes feel as if I am a work of contradictions, but when it comes to simplicity, it really shouldn’t be that out of scope. You see, one of the reason we do all the planning and organizing and scheduling and time management is for efficiency, and to make sure our lives run smoothly with as little interference as possible. It’s not to say that our lives will be predictable, although I can see how it could be construed that way – its merely to encourage simplicity as the ultimate goal.

Simplicity could also be looked at in the same context as minimalism, and there’s a huge movement for minimalism right now world wide. I’m sure if you did any keyword search on minimalism you will find blogs and social media and guides and pages and all sorts of information about how to simplify your life. Basically what this means in simpler terms is removing clutter, improving efficiency and having less around your life that will create complications.

So how do we get back to a simpler life? How do we feed our internal fitology meter? Well, I have a few ideas about how it can be done if you’re not already doing it. I think you’re here because not only do you like my witty prose, but you also think I might be able to help you work something out. I hope so, because when I worked it out for myself it was like a sigh of relief.

Essentially, what we need to be mindful of is keeping the right balance in our lives. There’s an excellent quote by Joshua Becker, author of the book “The More of Less” which says, “Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it.” My mum has been saying something similar to this for years, especially when it comes down to physical things. She used to teach me about de-cluttering before it was a ‘thing’ – her mantra was basically, if you haven’t worn it, used it or reached for it in six months, get rid of it. How often does it happen when you’re planning on moving house and suddenly pack up 3/4 only to realize you didn’t need any of those things as you waited for settlement and were surviving on those ‘basic essentials’? 

It’s so easy to get caught up in having and needing and wanting in order to keep up with others. And even when we don’t intentionally believe we do so, sometimes we do try to keep up with others to the detriment of ourselves. So going back to basics isn’t just something that you can do once off or on a whim – back to basics, simplicity and minimalism needs to be achieved progressively as you look at what you need and what you don’t, and what you want, and what you don’t. A simple question I ask myself when I see makeup – do I need it, or do I want it? Do I need to have highlighter palettes in colors I will never use just because the price is right? No. I have one highlighter I use and I will wait until I finish. Do I need to have eight pairs of black shoes? No. I need a flat pair, a mid heel and a wedge – see what I mean? Instead of having quantity, have quality. Save your extra $$ from buying those extra five pairs of shoes to invest in a good leather pair you’ll get longer wear from. Not only is it financially viable, but you will be able to spoil yourself on buying quality items that are elegant, sophisticated and timeless, to go with that new minimalist wardrobe you’re decluttering also!

Simplicity is not a fad. I try to make as much of my life as simple as possible. My commute to work? The reason it sucks is because I live in a semi rural area already on the end closest to the deep country. If I were to live in the metro or suburban areas I would go nuts. My zen and my simple life is on my farm, tending to my animals, having pasture raised duck and chicken eggs, looking at the stars litter the sky every single night. I can do the job I do because of where I come home to. I can take that extra stress, pressure and responsibility and throw it into my work, because my home life is so calm, peaceful and enjoyable. And whilst there are still some things I’d like to change to further simplify my life, I’m lucky I’ve got it to the point it is now. It’s been a massive learning curve and journey – and when you’re in the thick of it and wanting more, remember to come back to this article and get some reminders of what else you can simplify in your life.

How to write a longer editorial style article

I’ve recently written about how to pick your writing style and in developing your writing. I hope some of those tips have been useful in your writing endeavors! When it comes to writing in any style, you need to be very clear about the message you’re trying to convey and who your audience is. Your intended message will be better received if it is in the right format, so understanding the various contexts you need to write within is really important to successful engagement.

When it comes to writing an opinion piece or overarching viewpoint, editorial style articles are an excellent way to do so. They give you the length and format to not just go on an absent-minded ramble, which is also an ok way in getting your message across (though I don’t think it would be very positively effective). The purpose of an editorial post will be so that you can dissect your argument or provide other sources and references. It’s like writing a short essay but it comes from your point of view.

Characteristics of an editorial article

There’s some important characteristics of editorial articles. They need to be cohesive and well written because they are going to showcase your viewpoint. You want to be professional. Regardless of your point of view, the purpose of the article is intended so that you can either persuade others in a change of opinion, provide praise for something well done, interpret a circumstance or topic and especially, to criticize the actions, decisions, behaviors/ideologies or events that your subjects are involved with.

Writing an editorial article – the elements

The fun part! When it comes to finally writing your article, you do need to be mindful of a few key elements. I’ve summarized them in the infographic, but you do need to be aware of them in their entirety.

For example, you need to have the following planned for a really effective article:

1. Picking a topic that is not only close to your heart, but also relevant to current news. If one of your goals is to increase your traffic, popularity or showcase something new in your portfolio, you need to showcase that you are a dynamic and robust writer who can challenge current topics and issues. You need to show you can develop engagement and interest potential audiences.
2. Collect all your information, conduct fact checking, do wide research and develop a plan. It’s easier to map out your thoughts this way and find the for and against arguments, ensuring that you have valid evidence backed discussion.
3. State your opinion at the beginning, but without using “I”. make it brief so you can get on with the rest of the article. Explain the issue objectively and why it is important, or up for discussion.
4. Depending on the length of your article, pick a variety of for and against viewpoints. If your article is 2000-4000 words, then you might need 3-5 view points on each side. Each opinion will have a slightly different angle and can potentially be a lead for a future article. If your article is shorter though, then be more realistic about displaying too many viewpoints. The aim is to provide your viewpoint, with supporting for and against opinions.
5. Encourage debate and refute the argument. Make sure you use facts and research to back it all up.
6. Be rational. That includes finding something within the opposing view that you resonate with.
7. Make sure you have adequate paragraphs and address each point for discussion concisely. This enables you to reinforce your opinion and to establish key phrases.
8. Provide recommendations and solutions that are realistic.
9. Provide a conclusion that restates your opinion and summarises the article.
10. Finally, hit publish, post or send and let the world be thy oyster. Stand by your opinion and be confident!

Writing doesn’t have to be a chore, especially for those of us who love to write. Learning about writing in new styles and formats is always challenging, but once you master any type of writing, your confidence is boosted and your skills are developed. Plus, it’s always a great addition to have to your blogging repertoire as you seek to one day make your blog more of a life change or transfer your skills to freelancing.

Now that we’ve got all that covered, what are you planning on tackling as your next editorial project?

7 ways to appreciate people and say thank-you

We all have people in our life who help us, even when we think they’re detrimental to us. Those that are detrimental may not help directly, but indirectly you may learn a lesson from them. Those who have been following my blog understand the issues I had at my former job with a horrible supervisor and despite the absolute joy I felt when I was able to block and delete her number and know that as I started my new job I would never have anything to do with her again, I still am thankful for the experience I had with her. Sounds counterproductive and ironic I know, but really she showed me that I needed to let myself feel valued and to stand up to bullies. I learnt that she was an insecure and anxious person with no goals and no joy in her life, and if anything she taught me about the type of supervisor I didn’t want to be. I wanted to be approachable, confident, and knowledgeable and someone my staff liked. So I thank her for that, never directly (because I blocked her!) but I am thankful that she was the way she was so I could learn a valuable lesson.

But more often than not we have people in our lives that help us directly. Friends, mentors, confidants who listen to our rambling and put up with our mood swings and who encourage us, when we can’t encourage ourselves. My mentor/”sister wife” (we share a work husband, long story) friend is the only person who understood the struggle I went through completely last year. I felt as if I burdened her sometimes because I was in such a negative state, but she pulled me through all the time, even if perhaps she didn’t have it in her to pull me out of despair that day. And she never complained about it. Now that she needs support and is going through the same thing, I can be there for her, just to listen sometimes, because sometimes that is all you need to get something off your chest. And the best thing I love about this relationship is we do it for each other and it’s mutual. I thank her all the time for everything she does for me, because I think sometimes she does more for me than anyone else in my life. She is precious to me.

Finding those people, and thanking those people and appreciating those people is monumental in having effective relationships. Too often we forget to use simple etiquette to appreciate the people in our lives. How many times have you heard that person who is considered ‘toxic’ and simply takes all they can from a person/situation and then gives nothing back. I think I’ve even heard the term ‘vampire’ used to describe these people.

Either way, there are a few ways you can give thanks to those around you.

1. Offer sincere thanks, a compliment or encouragement. Making someone feel valuable and appreciated just makes things better. It also says, “I acknowledge you did something for me from the bottom of your heart without malice. I thank you for being so giving.”
2. Send a hand written card or note. People don’t take the time to do this anymore, and in contrast to the speed of the digital space, takes time and effort. Your recipient will feel as if you took out some specific time from your day to make them feel special.
3. Buy a small gift or voucher as a token of appreciation. There are so many options for different gifts and you don’t need to spend too much money.
4. Don’t delay in giving thanks. If the praise is relevant to the current situation, be mindful of showing your appreciation then. Make eye contact, be genuine and use positive body language.
5. Giving thanks encourages respect and better working relationships. If you are a leader, manager or supervisor, staff will have a greater respect for you, and will work harder for you. Respect is a huge attribute to have and giving thanks and appreciation is critical to functional workplace relationships.
6. Return the favour. Be respectful in the relationship enough that when the other party needs an ear or two or even a shoulder to cry on, that you are there. Respect is mutual as is true appreciation. The most cost effective way to return the favour is to do the same for the other person without an agenda.
7. Giving sincere thanks lays the foundation for a strong and mutual relationship, whether it’s a work relationship or a private one. The benefit? A lifelong friend you can trust and respect, or an excellent boss/employee who would always have your back.

When have you given thanks and what techniques have you used?

Productivity hacks: getting the most out of your day

It’s easy to be overwhelmed these days. Our schedules are busier and busier and I for one am a total advocate for people being able to work from home. Think about it, the amount of time we all waste commuting to and from work is ridiculous. Especially if the work is office work and you’re stuck at your computer all day. I personally don’t see the benefit of having people all sit in an office to do their work. I mean, I get that it can be misused and I know there are people out there who are stupid enough to do that, but imagine the productivity from staff if you said, “hey guess what…you don’t need to be losing 3-4 hours daily travelling to work.” I can guarantee you that the masses will be much less stressed and have better opportunities to spend the money required for commuting, fuel, tyres maintenance and parking fees (and the odd speeding fine) on better things.

I mean, it isn’t revolutionary you know. If you want to help reduce household debt issues, don’t force people to drive into work to physically sit at a desk. Everyone has phone, laptops and tablets these days – digital and online security is ridiculously well encrypted and large companies and government agencies have some of the best protection going.

But I digress. I get so fired up about this topic. Obviously there are many professions that require people to be on site, and that’s fine, but if you want to make a difference to not only people, but communities, local councils, road ways, traffic, house hold debt and affordability, guess what, let people work from home where they aren’t congesting the roads, causing accidents, driving tired or other such nonsense. It’s such a simple answer to a question that affects so many facets of our lives.

So considering this, and considering all the extra time you use throughout the day that you don’t have control over, it’s important to be able to schedule our days in order to get the most out of what time we do have. This blog spends some decent time going through productivity, making lists, being more efficient and developing habits and routines. It’s important to be able to manage your life this way, but also not be so strict that you don’t have any fun or down time.

I’ve discussed this before – the importance of making lists, writing in your diary and planning tasks/action is really important especially when you have a lot of things to get to. But some organisational hacks work better than others, so let’s see if we can identify these and implement these into our lives:

1. Use effective tools to helps you manage your time and productivity. There are apps out there these days for time management, social media management, saving articles offline and even those who remember and create new passwords (think LastPass). Many of them are cross platform and have a variety of login options, meaning you can manage your personal, small business or online personas as you see fit! (Buffer, Pocket, Evernote, Wunderlist and StumbleUpon are some that I use for these tasks).
2. Implement the 2-minute rule: the notion is that if it takes less than two minutes to do, complete it immediately. If it is a short task such as responding to an email or meeting request, getting these small tasks done feels very productive and encourages you to have better insight for larger tasks.
3. Get used to planning and try to implement it every day to encourage your next day work to have a head start. Think of certain recipes you make that require a day or two of prep or planning. When you know you’re going to make those items, you put in the ground work to ensure you have all the ingredients, resting time, etc are in place so that your recipe doesn’t fail. The same applies for work tasks – if you know your boss wants a proposal by a certain day and you need to do specific work to it or for it, make sure you nurture that project daily, put in your stakeholder meetings and requests, do your research and write your notes. You never know when, randomly, an emergency meeting will be called or you might have to discuss your preliminary findings with other senior staff. Happens in my profession all the time, but I never go to a meeting with a senior stakeholder not knowing my shit.
4. Have realistic goals in achievable chunks that you can work towards each day.
5. Develop good habits. This includes developing ways of filing things in your brain or in your work station so you can turn back to them, respond to them, provide additional advice on, etc.
6. Turn off your alerts, remove white noise and give yourself time to just work. Dedicate small chunks of time where you do not look at your phone, put yourself on do not disturb and don’t open social media or any other browser. Just work steadily for that space of time to ensure you get some quality work done.
7. If you’re a meeting manager/leader: reduce your meeting times to 15-30 minutes. Be short and snappy and concise and get to the point. There is no need to waste valuable working time in excessive meetings.
8. Don’t get in over your head, or do work that’s excessive or not relevant. And don’t be afraid to say no.
9. Use lost hours to catch up. I have a massive commute every day for work and I utilise that time to catch up on my podcasts. When I get to work, I have a half hour before my shift starts which I use to update my work and personal diaries, plan the week, do some reflection exercises and make lists of tasks that need to be completed.
10. Introduce scheduling where possible. For example, if you spend a certain amount of time managing your finances with regular transfers, see if you can automate some of them. This will automatically send your money where you need it to, saving you time in the process. It might not be a lot of time, but it’s still something you don’t have to remember to do, as it is being automatically done.

What productivity hacks do you use to make your day flow better?

Confessions of a carb lover: How to deal with cravings eating within a low carb lifestyle

None of us are omnipotent, especially if it has anything to do with food. Regardless of which food or diet lifestyle you follow, nobody is exempt from craving something that they probably shouldn’t have. And we try our best to not eat things that don’t agree with us for a variety of reasons but sometimes we just don’t have the willpower. In fact, only recently I listened to an episode on Simplify where willpower was discussed and the notion that there is no such thing as willpower was presented. I don’t know how I feel about it myself, but for the purposes of this post I will use it liberally!

I’ve been on a low carb lifestyle for about 3 months now. Coupled with weightlifting and an active work life I have lost some weight, some inches, and feel really great. I haven’t had any cravings for carbs specifically, however I have had some cravings as a result of Aunt Flow, but they usually happened the night before and were just a one off frenzy.

Cravings are like that though, a frenzy. When you get that bug in your head that you absolutely must have that thing, you become so focussed that it becomes all you think of. Recently I watched a reality show on Netflix called Addicted to Food. It looked at people with a variety of eating disorders and in fact, considered those who over ate and those who under ate as suffering with the same obsessive issues with food. It was an incredibly heart-warming and at times sad experience. One of the examples though discussed the obsessive need and the focus that manifests when a craving or a requirement to act out in a certain way occurs. Cravings for food are no different to any other cravings. The actual focus and obsession that occurs is the driver of the behaviour and that’s what we are discussing today.

When it comes to carb cravings, I think that what we’re dealing with is a mixture of known existing behaviour that is habitual, coupled with physical responses and an obsessive focus on wanting something you’re telling yourself you can’t have. I haven’t done any formal research yet, but I know there’s been a lot of discussion across the spectrum in relation to processed foods and refined carbs and the way they are manipulated to encourage you to eat more. And it’s not necessarily within that whole GMO thing, which if you’ve been reading my blog you know I am against GMO of any kind. But I believe there is a lot of discussion surrounding the use of scientists at processed food companies who can manipulate food to make you want it more. Is it just a matter of tweaking the sugar and salt and chemical content in processed/packaged foods or is it something more? I challenge anyone to do their research and share it, because I’d be interested to know myself.

Scientifically, it is said that food cravings are fuelled by dopamine, released when someone eats food that is comforting which creates a rush of euphoria that your brain seeks over and over (1). Things like experiencing stress physically encourage seeking comfort. When you’re under pressure, your body releases the hormone cortisol which signals your brain to receive rewards (2) so people who use food as comfort basically ingrain using food as a reward or go to, every time they’re experiencing discomfort or pressure.

I can’t find the exact reference, but I know that when I was quitting smoking there was a figure of like 5-7 minutes which was suggested as the time frame with peak for the craving feeling. Working through that is what we need to examine.

Dealing with carb cravings is the focus here, so let’s identify some steps in how to do exactly that:

• Ride it out: the more you think about it, the more you obsess about it. Giving in to a craving is not the answer and does not break the habit. Remember when we spoke about habits a few weeks ago, it was important to simulate new muscle memory and new actions. So giving in to something you’re trying to break does not change the habit. Your best bet is to refocus, and stop thinking about the craving.
• Delay and time: This is simple. Delay responding to the craving and write down your time of completion. If we give the rough estimate of 5-10 minutes for the feeling to subside, then make your response to the craving 15 minutes and give yourself another task to do. Write that email you’ve been holding off on, or email a friend just to say hello. Anything that allows you to refocus and start thinking and talking about other things will help with the next step.
• Distraction: Now that you’ve decided you’re not giving in, find a distraction. Put a podcast on or go for a walk around the office. Do something that breaks the frame of mind you’re working from and makes you think of something else.
• Eliminate triggers and cues: if you are craving something in particular, like sweets, don’t put yourself near them or your work space. Don’t encourage grabbing for them and make an effort to stop being influenced by them. How many times have you seen an ad for a fast food outlet after dinner and despite being full, you suddenly feel like you could eat again? Remove yourself form these triggers for better success at stopping a craving.
• Have prepared snacks beside you and lots of water. Let your body tell you what it actually needs. Sometimes you might be thirsty and not realise that your stomach discomfort is from lack of water, not lack of food.
• Make sure your daily diet is filled with enough protein and fat sources to stave off cravings. Those eating LCHF generally get nutritional needs from the way they eat already and make an effort to make sugar free, unprocessed desserts that their palette gets used to digesting. This is what I did immediately – learnt to make alternatives so I didn’t need to try and replace it with something bad, out of habit. It was easier to be proactive and gauge potential issues, then deal with them reactively.

Now that we’ve got that covered, do you think that there is anything else important that needs to be considered when dealing with cravings? What tactics have you used to beat them?

In text references: (http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/weight-loss-tips/how-stop-food-cravings-and-overeating).

5 ways to master blog categories

I’ve been trying to do research lately on categories and tags, and whilst there is a lot of information about tagging and SEO, it was really quite difficult to find information on categories. I did find one post at http://www.lindsayhumes.com/organizing-blog-categories  which was awesome in discussing how best to develop themes and categories for your blog. For those out there who are in the blog marketing and promotion world officially, they have that innate knowledge and ability to understand marketing strategies that best drive traffic to the blog and enhance blog promotion.

For the rest of us however who are learning on the fly, what often happens, as what happened to me, was that we write stuff down because we have something to say. We think we’re going to talk a hell of a lot about one thing, but end up talking about it minimally. We develop far too many categories because we’re “lifestyle bloggers” and we like a variety of things and so we put many categories out there to describe a post type. And this is great, this is what makes us human and individuals and makes us wonderful. But for the purposes of promoting our blogs, it doesn’t really do much other than create confusion. For example, if someone is blogging about travel or fashion, I may not have as much of an interest because I am not really into those things to the point that I have a piqued interest. Yes I like to travel, but travel doesn’t have a huge value for me. I don’t read about travel and don’t really talk about travel, so it’s unlikely I am going to find a travel blog specifically interesting unless I’m researching a particular place and want honest feedback and reviews about it.

What happens is that we end up lost in an online world of blogs where everyone is talking about something. But not a lot of tailored traffic, where people with the same interests can share the digital space and come together, is directed toward those blogs. And part of that I believe, is how well your categories are described and what they reference. As I mentioned before, when I see a blog marketed as lifestyle and have a better look and its travel and fashion, the use of categories or better site descriptors would help me initially assess whether or not that is something I have interest in. It doesn’t hurt me to click on this page still and have a look but essentially, it is the bloggers whose sites and themes resonate with me more who I will make a greater effort in engaging with.

That being said, I recently sat down and looked at my own categories and how they were structured. I looked at what themes had the greatest grouping of posts and what had little to none. It really is important because one of the categories is one I am thinking of turning into a second blog, so potentially my site is going to be restructured. I also need to make sure I don’t get distracted from what I want thatfitologylife to be and to represent.

I’m no master in blogging. I am learning as I go along, and I attempt to share my knowledge with all of you. So I am going to give you 5 tips to help you master your category selection when reviewing your blog. (I say reviewing because I think that like me, you’ve come to this post because you’re probably seeking guidance now on better blog promotion and marketing. You’ve been blogging for a few months and you like what you’re doing, but you want to increase engagement and drive traffic to your blog, so you’re reviewing it to see how you can make it better).

1. Look at the admin section of your site (if using WordPress, this is easily done in WP Admin) and write down your existing categories. Look at how many posts you’ve written on those topics and whether there is any crossover. For example I had Food, LCHF and recipes. I really don’t post that many recipes that it needs to be its own category, but LCHF likely will be, so I’m going to add the category “Nourishment” to cover food, recipes, LCHF and other wellness. (One post I read said not to use strange collaborations of words only known to you as a category as it will get lost in communication because your readers won’t understand where you’re going with it. I chose nourishment because it epitomises the notion of nourishing your body and your life, which fits with the theme of thatfitologylife.)
2. Look at the layout of a blog similar to yours and see whether the way they structure their posts and categories and tags is something you can implement. Also, if they have a large readership or engagement, then maybe making contact with them to discuss how they laid out their blog would be not only a good way to network, but to get some more experienced advice.
3. Learn about the basics of niche work, branding and promotion. There are many blogs and books and resources that cover this information that is easy to digest. It’s important to know strategies used in this type of marketing so that you can tailor your blog within its genre. I will compile a list of posts and sites I’ve used in the coming weeks and link back to it here.
4. Reduce your categories. If you have anything over 10 categories, look at condensing them. Lindsay Humes (in her post linked at the beginning of the post) uses the analogy of categories on the blog being like book chapters. She cites that bloggers often have too many categories and not many posts within those categories. It is far more effective to have fewer categories (say 8-10) and 10-100+ posts within these categories. It’s a great way to organise your content, direct attention to specific themes and be really professional in your blog.
5. Understand the analytics of your blog. At this point, you’ve been blogging for a few months and trying to do your best in promoting your blog posts. You put a lot of love and time into writing great content for your blog. You love your blog! But you also need to understand which of your existing posts are getting more attention and why. So in this regard, use Google analytics or WP analytics to look at the search terms used to bring readers to your site, or where your traffic has mostly come from. Essentially, these key terms are topics that people are interested in, and will determine if there is a higher demand for one topic over another. Use these key terms to develop your blog categories, reduce overlap and give better definition to the skeleton of your blog.

Some useful links for understanding blog categories I hope you enjoy:

http://coschedule.com/blog/blog-categories/

http://problogger.com/how-to-choose-categories-for-your-blog/

http://www.blogmarketingacademy.com/stratetig-blog-categories/

What have you done to redefine your blog categories? Has this increased traffic to your blog?

Quick update: I am on fiverr!

I just wanted to share something quickly with you before we get back to our regular programming today. I signed up to fiverr yesterday offering a variety of packages for blog and online article writing and research based writing.

I’ve been thinking and looking at ways of making blogging viable for me. For now I’d be happy if I could at least get it to be a passive income stream and the more and more involved I get, the more and more I truly want to be able to do this as more than just a side hustle. I’ve already got ideas for my next blog, which will hopefully kick off this year and will look at the trials and tribulations of moving into small base pasture farming, which will be sustainably driven to support the environment, provide a clean food source for us and some additional income. We’re hoping to move our base to a more rural farm and I’d love to document life on the farm in a separate blog full of images and creativity.

But I can’t run two blogs and work a full-time day job and run a farm. It will be way too much – I mean I probably could do it, but I’d be exhausted as all hell. So something will need to give, or something will need to be in place by then to make this whole transition easier for me. 

Also, running a blog including all your social media can be equivalent to a second job. And in the beginning, a lot of what we’re all doing is grinding and working really hard to push out new innovative content with not much back in terms of financial compensation. We do a lot of free work! Yes it’s easy to do it like this in the beginning, but we all end up wanting to eventually make it more concrete, more of a reason to keep doing what we’re doing. Many bloggers use a variety of passive income streams. Some use their blog as just a medium to communicate about their products, and some use it to sell their products, and some  use it as their online space first where the ideas for products come later. I don’t know which of those I will be but I am working on those ideas too.

But from the beginning what I have really wanted the most is not to have intrusive advertisements running all through my blog. Nothing irritates me more than advertisements. Especially when you can’t click a link or go onto a site because there are so many ads that loading the content you wish to see becomes intolerable. I can tell you now that as a consumer, when I see that I immediately stop looking at that site. I find it most on recipe sites for some reason too. I have no issue with people who do sponsored content or who use some affiliate programs and who notify their readers they are doing so. Again we all need to make some money if nothing, to cover the costs of running our blogs and this is a nice way to do it without having to be intrusive.

For me though, I like to be up front. I signed up to fiverr because I wanted a logo made and someone in an online blogger network group mentioned she had done so in the comments. I had a quick look and took a gamble with a $6 USD purchase. Nothing huge, and I got two different logos which were both excellent, for my own use on my blog. When I realized how many other professionals were offering their services as freelancers from SEO to social media management to a variety of writing skill sets, graphic design etc I couldn’t not do it. I mean, it made total sense right!?

So I setup a 3 tier package offering a variety of writing options. I have created only one gig so far to capture the blog post and online article writing but I may consider adding a few others as I do have experience in other writing styles. Essentially, I would love for it to be viable enough that I could change my status on there to full-time, so I will be eagerly looking at ways I can get involved in their community and develop a good reputation as a freelance writer.

If you’d like to see my packages or what I have available, look for user thatfitologylife or go to  https://www.fiverr.com/thatfitologylif {yes without the e at the end}.

Chicken walkabout: In memory of the chook we lost

Last night when out on their regular afternoon forage, one of our chickens went missing. She either got out somewhere through a hole in the fence or was nabbed by a predator. She vanished quietly, so we’re more inclined to think she just went walkabout and didn’t know how to come back. She was one of our best layers too *sigh*…

Here is a compilation of some recent pictures and images of all my chickens and ducks foraging and playing in the yard. Such simple creature that are so ridiculously funny and joyful to be around.

I’m still very sick and so I think this is a nice way to end the week whilst I go back to bed and try for the umpteenth time, to get better!

 

Mastering your writing style: 5 foolproof hacks to being a better writer

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before but part of my IRL job is to write quite complex analysis and assessment reports. Often, the subject matter is quite specific or involved, and I need to be able to present the facts to decision makers who may or may not have knowledge of the subject. So for that, I’ve perfected my communication technique to write relatively succinct reports that allow my stakeholders to make an informed decision.

Blog writing however, which I do as my creative outlet, occurs at a different level. I try to write how I speak and often, even in emails, my friends tell me they can almost hear my voice as they read my emails. Whether or not that’s a good thing, I don’t know, but I know I find it easy to write this way. Many struggle with writing in alternate styles because they fear just being themselves. Too often, people are judgmental of their method of communication, wanting to write eloquent prose that isn’t in their voice. When you blog, especially when you’re giving your opinion or wanting to come from a place of authority about something near and dear to you, your writing style needs to reflect the voice you’re trying to convey. Think of it this way, if you were saying what you were writing, how would you say it?

Mastering your writing style is therefore, paramount to successful communication. Writing helps you convey your message, regardless of what the subject matter is. Whether you are writing a university paper, a journal entry, a blog post or an opinion piece – your writing is your voice, so it needs to be you.

There are a few useful hacks (or tips) that I have used to really delve into my style of writing and develop it to where it is today, and I offer them to you today so that your writing can improve and so that you can develop confidence in the way you communicate, especially online.

1. Write frequently. Whether you have a word file or journal with your ideas, write naturally. Don’t worry about constructive sentences or being overly creative – just write. Spend some time writing creatively, or writing instinctively. A way I managed this was to write down dreams I remembered or a scenario that played out during the day. For example, if you see something interesting, like a street performance or an interesting looking person, describe it/them in as much detail as possible. Practising this will allow your creative juices to bubble as you start thinking of more interesting ways to describe things. As an after effect, it could also be a blog post you launch in the future!
2. Write in different formats to determine which style you prefer. Editorial style or advice column or investigative journalism – all of these styles have a different purpose, to provide more or less information, or to provide a specific message in a specific space/for specific impact. Write sample articles in each style to find which you prefer, and which you are naturally better at.
3. Find a writer/blogger you enjoy reading. What is it about their writing style you enjoy? Write down a list of positives and compare your skills against them. It gives you the opportunity to see if there is a way you can emulate this for yourself, or whether there is a recurring theme within their writing style that resonates with you.
4. Consequently, read often. The more you read, and the wider you read fiction and non-fiction, the more your own writing style will naturally develop.
5. Seek feedback on existing work. Find a trusted person and write something. Ask them to critique your post/writing style with specific questions on whether it was easy to read, enjoyable, gave enough information, was digestible, suited your personality etc.

The reason I know these work is because I do these myself, and have done this in order to better my own writing. The way I sought feedback was by posting on my blog and actually sharing my blog with close friends and family. Whilst scary, it was awesome to hear them say that they could hear me through my writing, which meant that I’d achieved my goal of finding an appropriate way to communicate. I trust that if you utilised even one of these tips, your confidence in writing and your personal betterment in your writing style will improve.

What other tips and tricks have you got that you’ve been able to use to develop your writing skill?

My morning routine: What I do to be the most productive I can

We hear often about a variety of list making, productivity and organisation techniques that can be used to make our life and our time more manageable and more valuable. Wasting time is wasting life. Time is the only thing we can never get back, so essentially we want to make sure that whatever we do each day is being done to the best of our ability.

My morning routine is something set in stone. I planned it before I did it and when I did it, I spent a good week or so tweaking times and seeing what worked and what didn’t. Morning routines are important to set the pace for the rest of the day. Think of when you were younger and would sleep all day and party all night, going to your part timethat job or stumbling to uni! Yes, it was fun, and we could afford to do it then, but having no purpose and no direction can affect the way we approach our days and our life. Essentially, organisation gives us this purpose in achievable chunks, helps achieve short term goals and gives incentives to continue planning. All of these keywords are not just keywords, but facets to how we can have the best life possible.

Morning routines should also be reviewed regularly to ensure you operate at your peak. If you change jobs, change start times for work, change how far you need to commute, you also need to change your morning routine. Not only is it pointless to not be willing to change and adapt to a change in circumstance, but it is detrimental to how you carry out your day and will only encourage reduced performance.

So in order to make the absolute best out of each day, where I manage my time, develop strategies for goals and make sure I meet all my tasks and activities, the below is how I currently structure my day for the work week:

1. Wake up at 04:30am. Makeup, brush teeth, hair and get dressed for work by 05:00am. Breakfast from 05:00-05:15. Use this time to load up your podcast playlist.
2. 05:15am: turn on car and warm up. Pack work bags and lunch (prepared the night before) and put it into the car. Load dishwasher and set delayed start on washing machine.
3. 05:30: leave for work. Arrive work by 06:30am – this gives me half an hour buffer in case of traffic.
4. 07:00: work shift starts.
5. 07:00-07:30: plan work day. Attend to emails from overnight and review anything that needs action. Plan day using diary and checklist of tasks. Block out any meetings in diary (online and hard copy). Schedule reflection time in the afternoon to review task list. Fill up water bottle and leave some fruit by your desk for morning tea.
6. 11:00-11:30: lunch time. Use this time to walk away from the desk, and use your personal diary to update any new meetings/appointments and scheduling for your personal life. Update any bills paid, bills received, emails that need action, pet vaccinations etc.
7. 13:30:13:45: reflection time. Review task list for completion. Make notes about what you need to look at tomorrow.
8. 15:00: end work day. Drive home will be a minimum hour and a half. Use this time to catchup on podcasts and think about themes for blog post topics and content schedule.
9. 16:30-17:00: I should be home by now! Let’s consider this the time for the purposes of this post. Unload dishwasher. Hang out washing. Feed dogs, chooks and ducks.
10. 17:00-18:00: Being that I meal prep, this next part doesn’t take long. Protein source into pressure cooker to warm up for 25 mins. Cut vegetables and cook as required for dinner. Cut salad vegetables. Prep lunch for the next day. Take out meal for the next day (usually pre-cooked chilli, Bolognese sauce, stroganoff) to defrost on the counter. Lock up chooks and ducks.
11. 18:00-19:00: Write blog posts, catch-up on social media, catch-up on blog reading, pinterest.
12. 19:00: Husband home. Dinner and the rest is chill time. Sometimes from this point I go back to blog work, shower and relax or catch up on shows.
13. 22:00: bed time!

Now that I’ve shared my routine, tell me about yours! What is it you do that helps you keep your day in order?